1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatus for enabling keyless entry into locked automobiles without damage to the automobiles, and more particularly to apparatus which is inserted into a locked automobile door along the outside of closed door windows and which operationally engages door lock actuators on the door panel inside of the automobile door.
2. Discussion of the Background
Many occasions exist in which legal entry into a locked automobile (or truck), without the use of a key to the automobile and without damage to the automobile, is desired or necessary. It is, for example, a common occurrence for drivers to lock themselves out of their automobiles by inadvertently locking all the doors--with the windows closed--with the entry key either still in the ignition switch or elsewhere in the automobile. In other instances, locked and illegally-parked automobiles may have to be entered by police or tow truck operators to enable the automobile to be towed away. In still other instances, it may be necessary for legal authorities to enter locked automobiles to make legal searches for contraband or explosives, to investigate crimes or, in some cases, to enable the automobiles to be moved out of the way of other vehicles in the case of emergencies and natural disasters.
Although automobile master keys may be available to police departments and other authorized agencies, key sets sufficient for entry into all types and models of automobiles are numerous and expensive and are, therefore, not generally made available to ordinary tow truck operators, fire departments, or security personnel who most commonly are faced with the day-to-day problems of gaining entry into locked automobiles. Although, in emergency situations, automobile windows can be broken to enable unlocking of automobiles from the inside, such means for entry obviously necessitate the replacement of the broken window, often at considerable expense, and may otherwise subject the individual, company, or agency which was responsible for the damage to legal action by the automobile owner.
It has, however, long been known by police, tow truck operators, and others whose occupations frequently require legal entry into locked automobiles that automobile door locking linkages inside automobile doors can often be manipulated by a person outside the automobile in a manner which will unlock the door. A common tool for such door unlocking linkage manipulation is a slender, flat strip of metal with a notch cut in one end. Such a tool, which is frequently referred to as a "Slim Jim", is slipped downwardly along a closed window into a locked door and is manipulated by the operator until the hooked end of the strip catches some part of the lock linkage, usually a longitudinally, extending link. When the metal strip has engaged the lock link in such a manner, an upward pull on the strip is generally all that is needed to move the linkage sufficiently to unlock the door. In the hands of an experienced operator, a Slim Jim can be used to unlock many automobile doors almost as quickly as they can be unlocked using a proper factory key.
As mentioned above, many automobiles are constructed with inside door lock linkages which enable the unlocking of the door by being pulled upwardly, as by a common Slim Jim. Typical of such types of automobiles are those whose door locks are mechanically actuated by push-pull lock "buttons" which commonly project upwardly from the top of the inside door frame. As also mentioned above, such types of automobile door locks are usually capable of being manipulated by a Slim Jim, such that the doors can be quickly and easily unlocked from the outside with no damage to the automobile.
Some other types of automobile door locks, however, employ a different type of manual door locking linkage which requires a fore or aft pull, instead of an upward pull, to release the door lock Exemplary of automobiles employing this type of door locking linkages are various makes and models of automobiles manufactured by the General Motors Corporation of the United States Slim Jims of the type described above are generally ineffective in manipulating this particular type of door lock linkage because the flat strips provide no means whereby the linkages can be gripped tightly enough to enable the necessary fore or aft unlocking movement thereof.
To enable the keyless unlocking of this particular type of door lock, there is available a keyless door unlocking apparatus which is somewhat in the general nature of a Slim Jim. This apparatus can also be slid downwardly into a locked door from the outside and along a closed window, and is configured so that an internal locking linkage can be effectively gripped to enable fore or aft unlocking movement of the linkage. This particular keyless door unlocking apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,886, which was issued on Sept. 2, 1986.
There are, however, still other types of automobile door locks which cannot, or cannot readily, be opened by the use of either conventional Slim Jims or by the aforementioned type of keyless unlocking apparatus disclosed in the above-cited patent. Typical of such type of door locks are electrically-operated door locks which use electrical solenoids or motors to operate the door locks, the locking levers being generally merely electrical switches of some type, including slide switches on the inside door panel or arm rest, or what otherwise appear to be conventional push-pull door lock "buttons". With such type of electrically-actuated door locks, there are generally no linkages, or the like, within the automobile doors which can be manipulated by any type of externally-inserted mechanical implement.
To the contrary, to unlock automobile doors having electrically-actuated door locks, it is generally necessary to operate the door lock switches on the inside of the door panels. As can be readily appreciated, such operation from outside an automobile with locked doors and closed windows is an extremely difficult task to accomplish, especially if it is desired or necessary not to damage the automobile in any manner. Because of the problems presented by the damage-free, keyless unlocking from the outside of such electrically-operated door locks, as well as possibly of some types of mechanical door locks which have in-door lock linkages which are relatively inaccessible from outside the door, the present inventor has invented a new keyless door unlocking apparatus which is insertable into a locked automobile door along the outside of the closed window thereof. The present apparatus is configured so that, upon manipulation of the apparatus, door lock switches mounted on the inside door panel, molding at the top of the inside door panel, or the arm rest on the door panel can be actuated from the outside of the closed and locked door without damaging the or its associates window and paneling.
It is, however, emphasized that the present invention is intended solely for use in a lawful manner, by legally-operated tow trucks, by police and fire departments, and by locksmiths and other civil and governmental organizations, which are legally empowered and have a lawful right to enter locked automobiles with or without the automobile owner's authorization.